Language barriers and the gradual loss of
fluency in the mother tongue are experiences
shared across many cultures, shaping and
sometimes straining familial bonds. For the
artist, these barriers have deeply affected his
relationships with older generations, limiting the
ways love and connection could be expressed.
Drawing on these personal experiences, the
work reflects the fragility and complexity of
communication. The choice to depict a solitary
figure introduces an intentional ambiguity: Who
is the letter from? What might it contain? Are
the tears born of joy, sorrow, loneliness—or all
at once?
This openness to interpretation forms the
emotional foundation of Mushangi’s practice,
inviting viewers to inhabit the delicate space
between certainty and longing.